Cost of living in the UK

PasturesNew

It's £850/month to rent a 2-bed mid terrace, 750 sq feet, in my road. Nowhere near London and without any significant industry/jobs.

Floxxie

It's £550 rent for a 4 bed detached where I am. Renting is much more expensive than buying. My 4 bed cost a little under £120k last year. Downside is that there are few jobs and even fewer well paid ones.

sheramber

Have you considered what your prospects of finding a job are?

teddysmum

sheramber wrote: »

Have you considered what your prospects of finding a job are?

Job availability will depend on what your field is and the location you choose to settle in. Some areas of the UK have very high unemployment.

AdrianC

teddysmum wrote: »

Some areas of the UK have very high unemployment.

On the whole, the UK has lower unemployment than Sweden. 5% versus 7%.

mem79

I work in the nuclear industry so have a few old contacts I can use, though we have only just started thinking about this now, haven't got a job offer. It would depend if I got a job offer to where we would possibly move to. If we were to move we would move somewhere small, a big city wouldn't be for us with the kids.


Yes we have thought about one of us working part time or staying at home to keep childcare costs down.


Just interested to hear what peolpe think regarding cost of living etc. I've checked how much you end up with after tax in both Sweden and England and it doesn't seem to differ that much after tax suprisingly.

Grenage

A few years ago I had a job offer in Eskilstuna, so I spent a while doing the maths on taxes and living costs. There's wasn't an awful lot in it, but Sweden was a little higher; general quality of life seemed better, so it's swings and roundabouts.

I did not factor children (I have none).

mem79

in sweden you end up with approx 27,000kr after tax on a 430,000 a year salary and in the uk it is roughly the same at 2700 on a 43,000 salary. I've not taken into account the Exchange rate but I would say costs are comparable at 10kr to £1

Guest101

mem79 wrote: »

in sweden you end up with approx 27,000kr after tax on a 430,000 a year salary and in the uk it is roughly the same at 2700 on a 43,000 salary. I've not taken into account the Exchange rate but I would say costs are comparable at 10kr to £1

Not if both of you are working though, as you both get a £11,000 tax free amount.


So you pay tax only on 21,000 (not including NI contributions)

mem79

Yes true, where we used to live in the uk we had to have two cars, here we can cycle to school work, shops on our doorstep and Lovely lake to swim in only 10 mins in the car and outdoor swiming pool 10 mins in the other direction.


Though energy bills are extortionate, Insurance is cheaper in the UK, food is expensive unless you shop offers all the time and any activities (zoos etc ) are pricey compared to the uk. Swings and roundabouts like you say.